No K Street 'Feet in the Street'

DDOT will not be holding a Feet in the Street walking and cycling event on K Street because D.C.'s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency won't allow a special event with any cross traffic.

Cities around the world, from Bogotá to Paris, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Miami, Portland, Chicago, Kansas City and Las Cruces, N.M., have held similar events, variously called Ciclovia, Summer Streets, Sunday Streets, Sunday Parkways, and more.

All involve closing a lengthy segment of a street to traffic, except at major intersections, for walkers, runners, rollerbladers, cyclists and more to enjoy the outdoors, get exercise, and have fun in a way that's often not possible in cities where most public space is dedicated to motor vehicles most of the time. Often "stations" along the way provide exercise classes, bicycle seminars, health information, and more.

Last year, DDOT tried one in Fort Dupont Park to great acclaim from surrounding neighborhoods, but the true spirit of the event involves closing a street through numerous neighborhoods as opposed to using a park drive. In April, DDOT decided to try hosting the event on K Street from 7th Street to Georgetown and the Capital Crescent Trail. 7th, 14th and 17th Streets would have remained open so that cars, trucks and buses could travel between the areas north and south of the route, and the route would have run under Washington Circle, allowing traffic to cross there as well.

Unfortunately, they ran into a virtual concrete bollard in the form of D.C.'s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

David Alpert is founder and editor of Greater Greater Washington. The Local Blog Network is a group of bloggers from around the D.C. region who have agreed to make regular contributions to All Opinions Are Local.